The heavens knelt.
That was the only way to describe it.
Golden light exploded from my body as the sky had finally remembered my name.
Not phoenix fire.
Not moonlight.
Not ghost flames.
Something older.
Something heavier.
Something that felt like ancient kings, forgotten gods, and every throne that had ever existed, suddenly deciding they had opinions.
The battlefield froze.
Snow stopped falling.
Demonic clouds trembled.
Even the moon itself seemed to pause and politely reconsider its life choices.
Honestly?
Same.
The same.
I stood in the centre of the valley, spear in hand, while golden divine light rose behind me like an invisible throne slowly taking shape.
The myth system flashed violently before my eyes.
[Myth Sovereign Path Awakening]
Bloodline Resonance: Success
Hidden Constitution Detected:
Heavenly Sovereign Body
Title Unlocked:
One Who Commands Gods and Demons
First Ability Awakened:
Sovereign Domain
Ah.
Wonderful.
I had no idea what that meant.
But it sounded expensive.
Hu Mei screamed from the ridge,
"MASTER! YOU LOOK VERY ILLEGAL!"
I nodded.
"THANK YOU!"
Accurate feedback mattered.
Across from me—
Chen Lie stared.
For the first time since this war began—
real shock.
No royal mask.
No calm.
Just disbelief.
Excellent.
Truly excellent.
His Devil Emperor aura still burned black against the snow, but now—
It felt like darkness standing before sunrise.
Good.
I had always wanted to be someone's sunrise problem.
Feng Yuehuang stood behind me, golden eyes brighter than flame.
Luna Yuexin watched in complete silence.
Even Bai Wuchen knelt slightly.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
I turned.
"General?"
His blue soul flames lowered.
"My Lord…"
His voice was heavy.
"…the old records spoke of this."
Ah.
Ancient prophecy.
Of course.
Because apparently my life needed even more dramatic paperwork.
I sighed.
"Please tell me it says I become rich and emotionally stable."
Hu Mei shouted,
"One of those is impossible!"
Rude.
Probably correct.
Bai Wuchen ignored us professionally.
"The Sovereign Bloodline was said to belong to the one who could command all paths without being consumed by any."
Ghosts.
Gods.
Demons.
Immortals.
He lowered his head further.
"The one before whom even emperors must kneel."
Silence.
Then Hu Mei whispered,
"Oh."
A pause.
"…so Master has paperwork from heaven."
Exactly.
She understood perfectly.
Across the battlefield, Chen Lie's expression hardened.
The shock vanished.
Only cold remained.
Good.
Cleaner that way.
He stepped forward.
The Devil Emperor mark spread fully across his chest like a living shadow.
Black wings of demonic qi stretched behind him.
The sky darkened again.
He raised his sword.
"So this is your answer."
His voice echoed like an old ruin.
"Heaven chooses another."
I smiled.
"Honestly, I think heaven just has better taste."
That one hurt.
Good.
Very good.
He attacked.
No warning.
No hesitation.
Just violence.
Perfect.
The demonic sword descended like judgement.
And I—
did not move.
Because instinct whispered something.
Because the Sovereign Domain answered.
Golden light spread beneath my feet.
A circle.
Ancient.
Divine.
Invisible and yet undeniable.
The moment Chen Lie entered it—
Everything changed.
His sword slowed.
His demonic qi weakened.
The world itself pressed down on him like a king denying permission.
He froze.
Actual shock.
Excellent.
I smiled slowly.
"Oh."
I looked around.
"This is fun."
The system flashed.
Sovereign Domain
Within your domain:
All summoned beings gain +50% strength
Enemy suppression activated
Host cultivation temporarily rises by one realm
Now THAT—
That was beautiful.
Very beautiful.
I liked cheating when it was legal.
Feng Yuehuang's flames exploded upward.
Luna Yuexin's moonlight brightened.
Bai Wuchen's Ghost Legion roared in silent undead approval.
Even Mo Jianli shouted from somewhere on the battlefield.
"Now THIS is unfair! I approve!"
Same.
Absolutely the same.
I stepped forward.
One step.
And my cultivation rose.
Qi Gathering Realm—
Spirit Core—
higher.
Not permanent.
Didn't matter.
Right now—
I was stronger.
And my brother knew it.
I looked at Chen Lie standing inside my domain, his Devil Emperor aura fighting the pressure of heaven itself.
Then I smiled.
"Third Brother…"
I pointed at the ground.
"Welcome to my rules."
He gritted his teeth.
First time.
Good.
He pushed forward with sheer will.
Demonic qi roared.
The Devil Emperor's inheritance refused submission.
Respect.
Annoying.
But respect.
His sword clashed with my spear again.
This time—
I did not kneel.
This time—
He did.
One knee hit the frozen earth.
The sound echoed across the battlefield.
Silence.
Absolute silence.
The Third Prince.
Kneeling.
Not by choice.
By force.
By my force.
The royal army looked like faith itself had died.
Perfect.
Perfectly perfect.
I leaned closer.
Not mockery.
Truth.
Quiet enough that only he could hear.
"You asked me once to kneel."
His eyes burnt into mine.
I smiled.
"So I thought I should return the courtesy."
That—
that landed.
Deep.
Good.
His hand tightened around his sword so hard that blood ran from his palm.
And for one second—
I saw it.
Not hatred.
Pain.
The kind buried so deep it shaped entire lives.
The pain of being chosen only because you were willing to become a monster.
The pain of never being loved without conditions.
Interesting.
Dangerously human.
For one second—
He looked like a brother again.
Not an enemy.
Not a prince.
Just someone as trapped as I had been.
And that—
That was somehow worse.
He whispered,
"You think this changes anything?"
I looked at him honestly.
"No."
Because it didn't.
This wasn't the end.
Just truth.
I stepped back.
Raised my spear.
Golden light burning across the snow.
Ghosts.
Moonlight.
Phoenix fire.
A throne formed from blood and refusal.
I looked down at him and said—
"It changes everything."
Because now—
The empire would know.
The discarded prince had not survived exile.
He had returned with heaven behind him.
And thrones?
Thrones were simply chairs waiting for the right person to stop asking permission.